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No.8.
3: 7 15.
pp. 168 - 172
Having stressed the importance of the particular aspect of the work of the Holy Spirit
in the cleansing and renewal of the mind, the apostle continues:
"That being justified by His grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of
eternal life."
"That" expresses a purpose. It is hina "in order that", showing us that the great work
of salvation, cleansing and renewing has the object of fitting us for an inheritance. All
God's redeemed children must have an inheritance somewhere in the perfect new heavens
and earth that will eventually come into being. "If children, then heirs" (Rom. 8: 17) is
true for all time. The inheritance that lies before the members of the Body is no earthly
one, but as Ephesians and Colossians make clear, is linked with the heavenly holiest of
all. In other studies we have shown that instead of the word `saints', we can translate the
`holiest of all' in Eph. 1: 18 and Col. 1: 12. Eph. 1: 14 tells us that the Spirit of promise
gives us the earnest or foretaste of this stupendous inheritance now, so this must be
included in the `renewing of the mind' we have just considered.
Justification is nearly always linked with faith in the N.T., but here it is by grace and
grace definitely excludes works of any kind, as Rom. 11: 6 makes clear, and this again
shows that the washing of regeneration cannot be referring to any act of ritual which can
be added to salvation. The hope of eternal life balances chapter 1: 2 in the structure of
the epistle, and we have seen that there is a phase of eonian life to be enjoyed by the
Body of Christ in the heavenlies while the ages run their course, which is not to be
confused with the earthly kingdom during the Millennium.
"Faithful is the saying, and concerning these things I will that thou affirm confidently,
to the end that they which have believed God may be careful to maintain good works.
These things are good and profitable unto men" (3: 8 R.V.).
Verse 8 is one of the five `faithful sayings' of the Pastoral Epistles. We bring together
the other occurrences, quoting from the Revised Version:
"Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners, of whom I am chief (or first)" (I Tim. 1: 15).
"Faithful is the saying, If a man seeketh the office of a bishop, he desireth a good
work" (I Tim. 3: 1).
". . . . . godliness, is profitable for all things, having promise of the life which now is,
and of that which is to come. Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation"
(I Tim. 4: 8, 9).
"Faithful is the saying: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him"
(II Tim. 2: 11).
Some expositors have felt that these sayings are fragments of the earliest Christian
hymns, as they exhibit a regular pattern, such as poetry or a hymn would furnish and